A Taste of Reality
by hakanaii
Summary: Annie Cresta has suffered from OCD since childhood. On her first day of therapy in New York City, Annie meets Peeta Mellark a young schizophrenic who has just begun his career as a university student. It isn't long before they become the best of friends.


_This is something I whipped up over the summer. I was exploring characterization for a plot bunny that is sitting in notebooks to be incomplete. I will be tackling a different instance in this verse that centres around Peeta and Katniss :) So look out for it!_

* * *

One. Wash.  
Two. Swish.  
Three. Rinse.  
Four. Dry.

She puts the beer mug upside down on the shelf above her head.

One. Wash.  
Two. Swish.  
Three. Rinse.  
Four. Wipe.

Another beer mug is placed beside it, four inches apart from the first.

One. Wash. Call Peeta after work.

Two. Swish. Call Peeta after work.

Three. Rinse. Call Peeta after work.

Call Peeta after work. Fou — Crash!

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! Johanna, I'm so sorry! So so sorry!"

"It's alright," Johanna cradles Annie, "It's just a glass. Did you cut yourself?"

Annie peels her head out of Johanna's damp shoulder and looks down at her hands. Not a scratch. She shakes her head.

"Alright, well," Quick, stomps come in and out from behind the counter. Johanna thrusts a broom and dusk pan at Annie's feet, "Clean it up. We're closing in an hour."

"Maybe you should start taking them again."

" …"

Her hands turn over themselves. One. Two. Three. Four.

"It'll help!"

"I don't like the dreams, Peeta! I don't like waking up crying every morning!"

"It might not happen again. Side effects are finicky things."

"You can't say that! You don't know that! They happened once already!"

"Annie…"

"…"

Her hands turn over themselves, again. One. Two. Three. Four.

"You won't get better if you don't help yourself."

"I know that."

"Then go back to Dr. Aurelius and get a new prescription of Fluoxetine."

"…"

Her hands turn over themselves, again. One. Two. Three. Four. Clammy with sweat, she wipes them on her cotton pants.

"Please. For me, Annie. You've been getting so much better, I don't want to see you stop getting better."

"…alright."

"Wonderful!"

She smiles into the receiver.

"…"

"…"

"What's wrong?"

"Um, after the previous side effects Johanna she … I don't want to bother her any more than I have to with this."

"Are you asking if you could stay with me?"

"It'll only be for a little while, I promise!"

Peeta's laughter rings through the phone line. "Stay as long as you like. I'm not going to kick you out."

"Thank you."

"Brutus will be pleased too. He and I get awfully lonely at bed time." Brutus is his dog. His well tamed dog. He never so much as barked at a squirrel. However, even the thought of her being in the same room as a dog made her uncomfortable.

"P-Peeta!"

"I'll come by in the morning and we can pack your stuff up!"

Annie sighs, "I'll make breakfast then?"

"Sounds delicious. Sweet dreams, Annie-cakes."

"Good night, Peeta-muffin."

_What did you do that for?! _

_She hates you. Loathes you. Why did you invite her over?!_

_She'll only hate you more. _

"Go away."

_Look at yourself, you're repulsive. What woman would love you?! You don't have money because that idiotic head of yours couldn't comprehend the big words in those thick textbooks. You're not handsome in the least. You can't even get your clothes to match!_

"No. Stop. That's not true. You're not real. It's all lies."

_Says who? Dr. Aurelius? Annie Cresta? What do they know? They can't hear me. See me. I'm more real than they are. I know everything about you! They only know what you tell them. You're a worthless human being Peeta. It's no surprise why your family hates you. _

"STOP! PLEASE! JUST STOP!" Tears stream down his face as the phone brakes in his hand.

_He_ did not reply back.

That's when Peeta notices Brutus is in front of him, pawing at him gently.

His blue eyes, blurry with tears, look up at Brutus who is sitting with his head bowed and wet nose touching Peeta's.

Throwing his arms around his German Sheppard, Peeta held onto Brutus tightly. "Not real, definitely not real."


End file.
